Curved eyelash permanent rods

ABSTRACT

A set of curved plastic curling rods are employed in administering a permanent curl to eyelashes. The arcuate rods are of round profile and are provided in a number of rod diameters from 4 mm to 8 mm. The curling rods are of a durable autoclavable material, and can be sterilized and reused.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to permanent makeup and is particularly concerned with techniques to affect the appearance of the eyes. The invention is specifically directed to a technique for applying an eyelash perm, i.e., a permanent curl to the eyelashes of a customer (or patient). The invention is also directed to a set of curved, reusable eyelash curl rods.

There exists a need for a convenient and effective method for providing a natural-looking curl to the eyelashes, especially for persons whose eyelashes grow out either straight forward, or with a droop and cross into the field of vision.

A conventional method of curling the lashes involves use of an eyelash curler, which presses or crimps the eyelashes. This is effective for only a few hours at most, and has to be repeated daily, or more than once a day.

Providing a permanent curl to the eyelashes, i.e., eyelash perming, is practiced in many countries including those in North America, Europe, and Asia. The process involves applying a permanent wave solution to the customer's eyelashes, and keeping the lashes somehow secured into the proper curved shape until the eyelash sets into the permanent curl.

Currently, there are eyelash curling rods used to hold the lashes in place during curling. However, these are straight, mostly rigid members that are difficult to bend, and usually have to be cut into lengths and pieced together around the curve of the eye. Also, these curling rods are available in only a single radius, at the largest 5 mm, and these do not form well to the eyelash for everyone's eyes. For women and men with loose skin on their eyelids, this type of curling rod will pick up the skin, and will not give a good result to the lashes.

These typical existing curling rods are made from rolled string and covered with a thin adhesive double-sided tape. This system does not work well with longer lashes, and the rods have to be discarded after one use and cannot be cleaned, sanitized, and reused.

Another eyelash perming rod that has been proposed is formed with a plate-shaped base member that is rounded into a rod at one edge, so it has a more-or-less P-shaped profile. The semi-circular curved part projects out from the eye and is used as a form for the eyelashes. The plate part rests against the eyelid, and also serves as a surface for holding the outer ends of long eyelashes. These are not available in varieties of sizes, and do not easily match the curve of the eye for any given customer.

Many women use an eyelash curler every day, and would welcome being free from having to undergo that procedure. Also many men and women who have undergone a chemotherapy treatment and have lost their eyelashes, have their eyelashes grow back straight or downward into their field of vision. Other people are born with the natural lash growing straight or downward. These persons would welcome a procedure that permanently curls their eyelashes up and out of their vision. Of course, the materials for doing this, including the curling rods, should be inexpensive and widely available.

What has been missing in the permanent makeup field has been a system for eyelash perming with eyelash rods that can be selected from a variety of sizes to match the eyelashes of the given customer, and which are autoclavable and sanitizable, so they can re-used, and which will accommodate the eyelids of the customer, even when the lids are somewhat loose.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an effective and efficient technique for eyelash perming, which avoids the drawbacks of the prior art.

It is another object to provide a set of curling rods for eye perming, with at least one pair in each diameter needed for various lengths of eyelashes.

According to an aspect of this invention, method of eyelash perming, i.e., providing a permanent curl to a customer's eyelashes, involves a selecting curling rods from a set of curved curling rods of a variety of sizes. That is, the make up professional first selects for each of the customer's eyes a curved eyelash curling rod from the set of curved curling rods. In the set there are a number of pairs of rods of different sizes, each rod being arcuate with a circular profile. These can have a radius of arc of 16 mm to 23 mm, favorably 18 mm to 20 mm and in one preferred arrangement 19 mm. The curved rod extends for an arc of 105° to 120°. The rods have rod diameters of 4 mm to 8 mm (favorably in millimeter increments) so they can be selected with the rod conforming to the shape of the customer's eye and to match the length of the customer's eyelashes. Then the professional applies the selected curling rod onto the eyelid of the customer's eye and wraps the eyelashes around the rod. The eyelashes can be secured with a temporary cement. Then the professional applies a permanent wave solution to the eyelashes, allows the permanent wave solution to set the curl on the eyelashes, and then removes the permanent wave solution and rod from the customer's eyelid. This may be carried out on the lashes of either or both the upper and lower eyelids.

Preferably, the curved eyelash rods are formed of a plastic resin that is biocompatible and is capable of reuse after being sterilized in an autoclave. The set of curling rods can include a pair in each rod diameter of 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm and 8 mm, respectively. There may be rods or larger or smaller diameter, as well.

The above and many other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art from the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment, which should be considered in connection with the accompanying Drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIGS. 1 and 1A show a person's eye from front and side, respectively, with eyelashes growing straight.

FIGS. 2 and 2A show the person's eye from front and side, respectively, after an eyelash perm procedure.

FIG. 3 shows a kit with a number of pairs of curved perm rods according to an embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a curved eyelash perm rod of this embodiment.

FIG. 4A is a cross section taken at 4A-4A in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is side view of a customer's eye for explaining the process of this invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the customer's eye during the process of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the Drawing, FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A show the eye 10 of a typical customer, with upper eyelashes 11 and lower eyelashes 12 that extend generally forward from the eye. This customer is a candidate for an eyelash perm procedure. FIG. 2 and FIG. 2A show the customer with the eyelashes 11 and 12 curved upward (and downward, respectively) for an improved appearance, and to keep the eyelashes out of the field of vision.

As shown in FIG. 3, an eyelash curl kit 13 includes a number of sets of curved plastic curling rods, with one pair each in a different size from 4 mm to 8 mm diameter. There are small curling rods 14 (of 4 mm rod diameter), and intermediate size pairs of curling rods 15, 16, 17 (of 5 mm, 6 mm and 7 mm diameters, respectively) and a pair of large curved curling rods 18 (of 8 mm diameter). These are in an inlay 19 of a soft foam so they can be stored and will be ready for use after they have been sanitized and dried. The rods 14 to 18 each have an arcuate shape, and a circular rod cross section. The rods follow the shape of the eye, and can be selected to be used with longer or shorter eyelashes, so they can be permed to a natural shape curl. The rods of this invention do not pick up the loose skin, as they are curved and dimensioned to fit the eye. The rods 14 to 18 are autoclavable and sanitizible, and can be reused over and over on different customers (or patients).

The plastic curling rods extend over an arc of about 105 to 120 degrees, with a radius R of arc between about 16 mm and 23 mm, favorably about 18 to 20 mm. In a favorable embodiment, the radius R to the center of the rod can be 19 mm. The rods 14 to 18 have a round cross-section or profile, rather than a D- or P-shaped profile, so they can be comfortably conformed to the curvature of the eye. The shape can be circular to somewhat oval. A bio-compatible, semi-rigid plastic is employed, which can withstand heats of 230° F. or above, so the rods can be heat sterilized. The plastic used should be resistant to the chemicals used in the permanent wave solution used in the lash perming process.

The detail of one of the curling rods 17 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A. This is typical of the rods in the kit 13. Here, the 7 mm curling rod 17 has an arc radius R of 19 mm to the center of the rod 17, and an arc A between 105° and 120°, in this example 118°. The rod itself has a length (from left end to right end) of about 1¼ inches (31 to 32 mm). The ends of the rod 17 have the ends radiused at 0.063 inches (1.6 mm). The end faces are oriented at about 60° to the horizontal, as shown. With reference to FIG. 4A, the rod 17 has a round profile or cross section, with a diameter of 7 mm (0.276 inches).

The remaining curling rods 14, 15, 16, and 18 would be generally in proportion.

The process of eyelash perming are described in reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

Here, a customer is shown with a curling rod 17 being used for a lash perming procedure on the lashes of the upper lid of her right eye. First, a rod of the correct size is selected so as to match the lash length. With the customer's eyelid closed, the rod is gently positioned above the lashes, and the customer's lashes 11 are wrapped a around the perm rod 17. Then an eyelash cement is applied to hold the eyelashes in place on the rod. A similar rod of the appropriate size can be used with the lower eyelashes 12, although that is not shown here. The permanent makeup specialist then applies a permanent wave solution (or series of solutions) onto the lashes 11 (and/or 12). After a prescribed set time, the solution is rinsed away, the cement is softened or removed, and the lashes are lifted away from the curling rod 17. This leaves the lashes with a natural-looking, attractive curl, generally as shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A. This permanent curl lasts the life of the lash, and needs to be repeated only every month or two as the eyelashes grow out.

While the invention has been described in reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment. Rather, many modifications and variations will present themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. 

1. A method of providing a permanent curl to a customer's eyelashes, comprising selecting for each eye of the customer a curved eyelash curling rod from a set of curved curling rods, the set having a plurality of pairs of rods of different sizes, each said rod being arcuate with a circular profile, having a radius of arc of 16 to 23 mm, an arc of 105° to 120°, and a rod diameter of 4 mm to 8 mm, to match the rod to the shape of the customer's eye and to the length of the customer's eyelashes; applying the selected curling rod onto the eyelid of the customer's eye; wrapping the eyelashes around the rod; applying a permanent wave solution to the eyelashes; allowing the permanent wave solution to set the curl on the eyelashes; and removing the permanent wave solution and rod from the customer's eyelid.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said rods are formed of a plastic resin that is biocompatible and is capable of reuse after being sterilized in an autoclave; the method including high-temperature sterilizing the rod after removing same from the customer's eyelid.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said the set of curling rods includes pairs of curved curling rods having rod diameters of 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm and 8 mm, respectively, and the step of selecting includes choosing the rod with a diameter that provides the best match to the length of the customer's eyelashes.
 4. A set of curling rods for providing an eyelash curl treatment to a customer, comprising at least on pair of curved curling rods in each of a plurality of rod diameters; each said curling rod being formed of a semirigid plastic material, and having an arcuate shape and a circular cross section; with an arc curvature radius of 16 to 23 mm, an arc of 105° to 120°, and a rod diameter of between about 4 mm and 8 mm.
 5. The set of curling rods according to claim 4, wherein arc curvature radius is between 18 and 20 mm.
 6. The set of curling rods according to claim 4, wherein the set includes a pair of rods for each rod diameter of 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, and 8 mm.
 7. The set of curling rods according to claim 4, wherein said plastic material is a resin that is biocompatible and is capable of reuse after being sterilized in an autoclave.
 8. The set of curling rods according to claim 4, wherein said curling rods are free of any projections extending radially from the rods. 